Diocese of Lafayette
‘How different ... if we could all listen to others’
Father Noah Casey says he often looks to the Rule of St. Benedict for guidance. (Photo by Caroline Mooney)
By Caroline B. Mooney (The Catholic Moment)
WEST LAFAYETTE — Think of how different the world would be if everyone tried to listen first, and speak second. Listening is one of the values found in the Rule of St. Benedict, a book of rules written for monks, said Father Noah Casey, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Indianapolis. A Benedictine monk at Saint Meinrad for 32 years, he spoke on “St. Benedict and the Family” to 26 diocesan stewardship and development directors at the group’s Region VII annual gathering on May 30 here.
Members came from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana hosted the three-day meeting. “The purpose of our meeting is a coming together of professionals who share a common ministry and common challenges,” said Pamelia Storms-Barrett, director of the Pastoral Office for Stewardship and Development in the Local Church. “We are a support group for one another as well. The meeting is a learning and sharing process. Father Noah’s talk was aimed at growth in the spiritual side of our ministry.”
“How different our Church, the whole political scene, and our families would be if we could all listen to others,” Father Casey said. “Listen is the first word of the prologue to the Rule and that first word sets the tone for the entire document. Listening is a hallmark of the wise person. In our culture, wisdom is frequently recognized because people say wise things and that is fine, but the Rule tells us to listen first and speak secondly — if you speak at all.” He often looks to the Rule of St. Benedict for guidance. “One of my favorite topics is in terms of family life in general and family in the Church,” Father Casey said.
“My image of family life — whether it’s your family of origin, a monastery, or a parish family — is one where nothing is intended to be overly harsh, but some discipline may be needed, to both amend faults and protect charity. Those two have to go together,” he said. “It’s a way of being in the world that is so helpful to us.” The Rule of St. Benedict on “The Election of an Abbot” says, “Goodness of life and wisdom in teaching must be the criteria for choosing the one to be made abbot, even if he is lapsed in community rank.”
“This applies to all of us,” Father Casey said. “We can’t let hierarchy of community get in the way of searching for who is the wise person in our midst.” Conversion lies in a person’s way of living. He gave the example of a young mother who was overwhelmed with three young children pulling at her.
“Where is my path?” she asked. “You’re on it right now,” Father Casey said. “Every little hand tugging on your skirt is your path — it’s not very glamorous, but it’s real. Our path to holiness is who we are right now, this very minute. If we can be open to that, conversion can take place.”
Hospitality is another value listed in the Rule. “Being able to receive everyone as Christ is a tall order,” Father Casey said. “The hospitality that is most difficult to show is to people we know: our spouses, our kids and our staff. It’s easy to be very hospitable to a homeless person or to a stranger who comes in the door. Hospitality where we need it to work the most is in our core group — because we know each other.”
He spoke about praying in the Benedictine tradition and the role silence plays in prayer. “An appreciation of peace and of quiet, not just the absence of noise, is the kind of thing that embraces us and that we learn to savor,” Father Casey said.
“A great example of that was when I was in Kmart and saw a father with his young son, and the boy was very crabby,” he said. “The father just held on to his son, without saying a word, until the boy quieted down. I think that’s how God holds on to us. He embraces us in our quiet and holds us. “There is nothing more powerful than a group of people who are intentionally together in a group of silence, listening and responding,” he said. “When we intend to be in God’s presence, he’s there. … Half the benefit is listening together in church. Our values, relationships and prayer can be helpful in our continued growth and strength. When we come into praise we can corporately listen.”
Everyone lives in some kind of community, and in so doing they learn to anticipate the needs of others. “When you live with the same people for years, whether it is monks in community or married couples, you know someone’s habits,” Father Casey said. “You anticipate one another’s needs. If I know a monk has coffee every morning, I don’t make him ask for a cup each day. I set it out for him. … We kind of grease the wheel and that’s what makes common lives work.”
In prayer, God should be sought above all. Life should have balance, pacing and peace. “We need to practice intentional living,” Father Casey said. “If we are in survival mode each day, just reacting all day long to life, that’s not living, that’s survival. You don’t appreciate beauty and there’s no possibility of being recipients of peace if we’re just reacting all day long. Each day you need to get up and think about how you are intending to live that day. Try to be accepting and not just overwhelmed by life.
“When I am talking to people about direction or confession, I ask them, ‘What kind of pattern of daily prayer do you have?’’’ he said. “I don’t care what it looks like, but is it there every day? Frequently that’s what is missing. … We need to be intentional about prayer; it is the lifeline from which we draw the strength to bring all our doubts and joys before God.”
(Go to the website of The Catholic Moment) †